Friday Night Cage Match/Fondue Party/Evolving Conversation/Dancing About Architecture Vol. 39
The other day, I wrote a post about the top touring acts of 2008. I put the Billboard Box Office list of the top ten grossing acts and their totals. Once again, here is that list…
Bon Jovi $210.6 million
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band $204.5 million
Madonna $162 million (still-underway)
the Police $150 million
Celine Dion $91 million
Kenny Chesney $86 million
Neil Diamond $81.2 million
Spice Girls $70 million
the Eagles $56.6 million
Rascal Flatts $55.8 million
When I look at the list, I think to myself; “There is absolutely nobody on that list that I would be willing to shell out $150.00 to go see”. But, I am the anti-demographic. People are paying big bucks to see these acts. Now the $150.00 figure is one I just pulled out of the blue sky. I would be willing to venture that that figure is not the top price for most of these acts. Matter of fact, I just read that big time scalper uh…secondary market provider, Stub Hub, says that the average Madonna ticket sold at their joint was over $300.00.
Anyway for this exercise we will use the $150.00 figure.
A little different format for the old FNCMFPECDAA tonight.
Who would you pay $150.00 to see in concert?
Doesn’t have to be from the above list; could be anybody, artist/band anybody.
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17 Responses to “Friday Night Cage Match/Fondue Party/Evolving Conversation/Dancing About Architecture Vol. 39”
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Pribek At Zazzle
The post to blame: Most Peculiar Mama (Don't Eat Your Cat)
from this list, or any one we should choose?
Any one you choose.
Okay Regis, there are 6 people here tonight, so we are going to poll it:
2 boys age 13 = both say “ICP” $150 per seat, [Insane Clown Posse]. But one would rather have an XBOX 360, the other says he thinks the experience is worth the money. When the group is gone you can say “I was there.”
1 girl age 15 = Beatles
1 Uncle [who is one card short of a full deck] = Roger Reynolds HERE Mosaic 1962 go figure that one.. “a girl named Norta promised to take him to see Roger Reynolds, but never did.”
the mother = maybe Andrea Bocelli if live, and in a great theartre.. in Rome… otherwise no one is worth that ticket price. “Why pay that if I can watch it on TV?”
the dad [me] = I would pay $150 buck fiddy for standing room only to see a good buddy personal friend in concert any time, otherwise I’d go with the wife, it would be a “thing.”
This proves the youngest ones are the least frugal. Other wise, none of the top ten in the post above would get my week’s pay for all of us to go see at $150 each. My final answer. Pat. Pend.
Do they have to be living?
I saw Allan Holdsworth for $20 a little over a year ago.
Maybe Michael Lee Firkins, Steve Morse, Scott Henderson, Frank Marino or Johnny A, if the price included a private lesson after the show.
I wouldn’t want a private lesson from Holdsworth, since it wouldn’t reach down to my mere human grey matter.
I might pay $150 to see Madonna if she washed my feet with her hair.
Ok, now I wanna be done thinkin’ about this FNCMFPECDAA. Did I leave anything out?
$150 means front row seats, right? Here’s a crazy list for you!
Evgeny Kissin
Zappa Plays Zappa w/ Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio (Ike Willis or Ray White subbing for Dweezil)
Jake Shimanbukura
Tuck and Patti
Jack Pribek and his Large Band (with the lady back-up singers for Soul Searching)
Gary Burton Trio
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra w/ Chorus doing Carmina Burana
Take Six
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Chicago
Earth Wind and Fire
Da Vinci’s Notebook
The Real Group
Les Paul (wishful)
Michael Chapdelaine
Tommy Emmanuel
Alex De Grassi
Leo Kottke
Me First and the Gimmie-gimmies
Blood Sweat and Tears
The King’s Singers
Traveling Wilburys
My wife would add:
Iron Maiden
Rolling Stones
Aerosmith
Rush
Cheap Trick
$150.00???
There’s a reason I’ve never had a desire to go to any sort of concert to see any sort of entertainment…. I can buy a CD. Or, these days, I can download it.
$150 can go towards utilities, medical bills, pharmacy, or groceries.
Quality is the pearl of great price. I’ll never forget seeing Lionel Hampton play before he died. Or Maynard Ferguson. I kinda remember seeing Victor Wooten, Monty Montgomery, Olivia Newton John, The Spinners, Wet Willie, Dolly Parton and The Charlie Daniels Band, but it’s not the same quality of experience. (Wow…I don’t get out much, do I?) The real question is what is the magical mix of qualities that some performers have (and others don’t) that make you want to empty your coin purse. Or is it all marketing hype?
RULES !!! Jayne is not playing fair !!! She crossed the thresh-hold with her talk of responsible uses for $150.
NO FAIR to the rest of us.
First off, I love the idea of the large band.
Allow me to say a few things about the concept of the “anti-demographic”.
This all started one Sunday afternoon when I was watching football with friend/neighbor PT. After a succession of commercials that left us both dumbfounded he said; “You know they aren’t trying to sell that stuff to us“.
I got to thinking and took a good look around and came to the stark realization that really nobody is trying to sell anything to me.
Demographics are broken down by age, sex, race…things like that and are flawed because they are based on stereotype, lowest common denominator parameters.
I look at the list of possible concerts put forth so far and, to a name they all seem far more interesting to me than any on the Billboard list even though I’ve never heard of Roger Reynolds or Michael Chapdelaine, I’m already more intrigued by them than I am Kenny Chesney.
Also, of all the acts listed, I don’t really see folks that would command the $150.00 tag with the possible exception of Andrea Bocelli in Rome which would obviously fall in to the category of goat cheese gig.
Matter of fact, the first name that popped in to my head was Holdsworth and Stratoblogster saw him for 20 bills. Now, if I were to see Holdsworth, I would have to factor in some costly highway miles and probably a room.
What I’m getting at here, is you guys all appear to be part of the anti-demographic too. Even Jayne who brings practicality to the floor.
J asks…
…which is a loaded two part question.
Walking the course backwards, marketing like water takes the path of least resistance. People who make money marketing anything are only interested in applying those talents to things that do have lowest common denominator value. As it applies to music, no publicist or booking agent is going to start smiling and dialing unless they can describe the act and tell a story in a matter of a few seconds, doesn’t matter if you got the money or not. They aren’t going to risk their bona-fides by selling something that the prospective buyer is going to look at and say; hunh!!??
So, that’s the problem with the long tail and niche marketing and the answer to why Holdsworth would play for twenty bucks a head. Nobody has the slightest idea of how to market to the anti-demographic. But, they know that the spectacle will sell to a wide demo(LCD baby) and that’s what they can sink their teeth in to. Concerts aren’t about music, they are about the event. Why do the Eagles need 19 semi trailers to pull their show around? Isn’t it just a handful of aging country/hippies playing “Peaceful Easy Feeling”? Well no, you could probably see that at the next neighborhood barbecue.
Anyway, good list of potential shows there guys.
Right now, this second, because I just watched a BBC documentary about him, I’m going to say Captain Beefheart but, sadly that’s probably not a possibility.
Viva Anti
I rather like being an anti-demographic. Feels revolutionary. Of course, as soon as others jump on the anti-demographic bandwagon, we got us a demographic, demmit. Ah well.
Jack, I’d pay $150 to see you in concert. To the other readers of this august blog, this is not because I’m being a sycophantic sister. The sad truth is, and I’m not sure why this is, but I have never seen Jack perform onstage in front of an audience. Shameful, I know, but somehow it just never happened. It would be worth shelling out for a $150 ticket to see him onstage, just once, and I mean that quite sincerely, brother.
There is no other musician, or entertainer, or actor, who would otherwise make me part with my cash.
Oooh I forgot BB King! I saw him at a casino a few years back for pretty cheap too, and it was a religious experience. He communicates with his band and the entire room just as if it were a party of 5 in a restaurant booth. He had people crying! Not because of “The Blues”, but because of sincerity. Anyone who’s seen The Crossroads Fest and can remember the BB’s on stage comments about Clapton, has had a taste. If you’ve seen him live you KNOW he’s a Bodhi. He’s gettin’ pretty short, so see BB King if he comes to your area– no matter what it costs!
Controvertial picks coming…
I’ve already paid (significantly) more than $150 a ticket to see Madge on a couple of occasions. What I received in return from the the plus one was well worth the ticket face value.
Whilst I don’t *have* to, I’d spend $150 to see Derek Trucks play… actually, I suppose I have a couple of times if you include plane ticket and hotel!
And now for the fantasy picks. I’d definitely pay more than $150 to see Duane or Jimi, Trane, Davis… Hathaway. Any of the dead greats I never got to see.
I paid $5.00 for a ticket to see Jimi, and he cancelled. Probably the biggest disappointment of my life. Paid $7.50 to see the Rolling Stones with Mick Taylor on guitar, $15.00 to see Eric Johnson, $25.00 to see Miles. Why would I pay $150 to see anybody? OK, if Duane and Wes came back to do a concert together (w/Roy Buchannan).
Stratoblogster is on it with BB.
Kenski-what is the plus one?
Good point Ron, btw I don’t recall what the ticket price was when we went to see BB, Albert and Bobby Bland at the Fox but I’m thinking well under 150 no?
Jack,
I remembered that one after I had posted, and yes, it was far below $150!!
Quotable Quotes: New Riders OTS SOURCE HERE
Ray Manzarek — August 2008
Addendum to the Cage Match Question: “Would you pay $50 or below to have a touring Band Experience?”
And — It is spooky that Pribek seems to have a doppelganger over at Ray’s blog… sort of following similar yet different streams. I get cheeeells all over! This internet is Haunted, but I don’t want to skeer ya now.
[Rayyyymmmond], I’d pay $150 to see you in concert. To the other readers of this august blog, this is not because I’m being a sycophantic sister.
I saw B.B. King a year or two ago. Took my eldest. He didn’t cost $150.
Honestly, there’s no way I’d see anyone at $150 a ticket. Lots of folks I want to see are much lower and I can’t afford to see them.